


Survive the night.

by the_Lady_Dionysus



Category: Journey into Mystery, Thor (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-23
Updated: 2012-11-23
Packaged: 2017-11-19 08:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/571369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_Lady_Dionysus/pseuds/the_Lady_Dionysus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She would later question weather or not he had been sleeping, never really fully awake or aware of what had happened, But never care to mention it. <br/>And he would wonder if she though him asleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survive the night.

This trip had been far longer and more tiring than either could have predicted. Though the novel travel methods of Midgardians had proved entertaining, they had taken an excruciatingly long time to reach there destination. On top of this, once they had reached there destination, they had further still to travel. All of this had left Leah more than a little exhausted, and in need of some relaxation and quiet. Loki, on the other hand had been a hive of energy all through the trip. He found fascination in the slightest Migardian curiosity, hassled the flight attendants for almost the entirety of the 12 or so hour duration of the flight, and sprinted every which way once they landed, insisting on buying t-shirts and souvenirs. If truth be told it was keeping up with Loki that had wiped her out so much, the boy was hard work, even when it was just listening to him, and his ridiculous questions about British monarchy.

 

But they had arrived now, and Camelot was beautiful, in the way Leah could only assume celestial Asgard had once been. Tall stone buildings, drapes tapestries open wood fires. It was homely, and she could not wait to be shown to her room and to relax. She never slept, this was true but time away from Loki-sitting, a book to recline with, it came as close as she was going to get. It had been drawing close to night fall when they arrived, they would surely not be expected to do anything tonight. So as they where led in to the grand hall leah’s mind wandered, they where presented before the court and explained what the situation was, after all the formalities where over, they where finally lead to there rooms.

 

They where led up winding stairs, and sprawling corridors, across court yards and through cloisters until they reached the north east quadrangle of the castle. This is where the sleeping quarters where and as they where lead in to one of the turrets, the steward who was guiding them stopped in front of a large hard wood door, decorated with brass. He reached into his tunic and pulled from there a large brass key held on a thick scarlet ribbon. He handed the key silently to Loki, before bowing and walking off in the direction they had come from. Leah stood looking after him as he made his way back towards the main hall, and as realisation hit that they where intended to share a room, it was to late to call after him.

 

Loki was paying her no heed, he was already turning the large brass key in the lock and pushing the imposing wooden structure open. She sighed, trudging behind him into the room they had been given. It was a large room, with a couch and an armchair, a large window and a fireplace. There was a door that lead off to the side and against the back wall there was… her eyes froze on the offending item that had cut her off in her itinerary. It was a bed, a beautiful, four poster, king size bed. With red drapes, and white sheets and scattered with an array of plush pillows. The bed in itself was of no offence, it was beautiful and looked to be of the most exquisite comfort, it was the singularity of the item that offended her. Where was she to sleep?   
Loki was still buzzing, flitting round the room touching things looking under others. At present he seemed to be sticking his head into the fireplace.   
“Loki.” She called towards him but got no reply, he was far to involved in his own exploration of the room.  
“Nice room. Homely. With sheets! And look, Leah! A chimney!”  
“LOKI!!” He froze mid action, and slowly turned from the place he was to look in her direction. She stood at the foot of the large bed, arms crossed on her chest the look of frustration bordering into anger obvious on her face.   
“Yes?” He questioned, though his voice fluttered in his through as he tried hard to quell his nervousness. He had been expecting this for most of the day. Although, it had to be said she had lasted much longer than he had thought. His grating attitude was sure to, at some point, exasperate her, but she looked far less angry than he thought she would, her face held something closer to outrage.  
“Could you calm down long enough to listen to me! There is only one bed!” She all but barked it at him, her frustration and embarrassment at the situation was percolating, she was exhausted, and had been denied the comfort of her own retreat of peace and quiet, and all he could think about was a chimney!

 

Loki looked at her then at the bed, then back at her. He was having trouble comprehending the problem that she was clearly hinting at, as he stood from his place near the fire. He was cautious to answer to quickly, and further incur her wrath, so in a vain attempt to cover up his confusion he put his hand to his chin stroking it thoughtfully, before looking back at the bed, then her, then around the room, then back to her. It was no use he didn’t get it.  
“Yes, I can see that. And what a fine bed it is.” He walked towards it reaching out to stroke the hard dark wooden bed frame. But the look on her face told him that this was not the appropriate response as her eyes darkened and the scowl on her face became murderous. Swallowing nervously he admitted to his ignorance.  
“What is the problem?” It was outrageous that he could not comprehend the slightest of indignations, was he really that socially oblivious? Did she really have to spell it out to him.  
“The problem Loki, is that there is but one bed, and two of us!” Now he was confused, and not thinking he blurted out that which came first to his mind.  
“But, Leah you don’t sleep!” The point may have been true enough, she didn’t sleep. The keepers of the dead have no time for such a luxury, but right now she was neither in Hel nor was she caring for the dead, and although she could not sleep she would allow herself the luxury of relaxing.  
“That does not mean I do not care to recline!” The indignation was sharp in her voice and although she did not shout, there was a shrill exasperation to her tone.

 

Loki had never given much thought to what leah did in the hours when he was asleep. Had he always assumed that she sat bolt upright, reading, sewing, some other manor of hobby or craft? With it pointed so obvious in his face, he realised that out with what she did with himself, he really knew very little about her. But his musings where cut short, she had folded her arms and her glare could draw blood.

“Well, it is a big bed. Should you wish to recline upon it at any point through the night, well I have no objection to sharing.” Her eyes grew wide, she never really knew what she had expected out of this conversation. For him to offer the bed up to her and offer to take the couch? It seemed preposterous when she thought about it, I mean she didn’t really sleep and he did. She supposed she could recline on the couch, read a book perhaps. The long travel and hyperactive Loki must have effected her, numbed her brain the the sharp sting of common sense. She was not about to share a bed with him.

 

He couldn’t quite gage what was going on in her head, her facial expressions had been once more schooled into a mask of indifference, but she had still to say anything to his last statement. She said nothing simply turning to stride towards the couch opposite the fire. As Loki’s eyes followed her with curiosity.  
“I think in a bed with you, is the last place in all the nine realms I would care to be.” She stated blankly as she dropped herself down picking up a book from a pile on the coffee table near the couch. She hoped her voice had came out even as she felt a tiny flutter of embarrassment, and the skin on her neck prickle hot at the idea of being in a bed with Loki.  
Loki simply shrugged, wandering onwards on his travels of the room towards the door on the far wall.  
“Your choice, but I have been told that at one point women would have killed to share my bed.” He put on a haughty tone as he strutted past her head held high, looking down his nose, and completely missing the coffee table, cracking his shin off of it and swaying before righting himself. Leah chuckled at him. As he stumbled to get his footing.  
“Yes, Obviously. How could I have been so blind.” She could not hide the grin that twisted over her features as she mocked him, as he trotted off towards the door.  
“Oh, it’s an en suit!” He called from behind the door, the call almost instantly followed by the sound of running water. She looked up from the book, she had yet to discover what it was, as she appeared to be only holding it in front of her face and had yet to make an attempt to comprehend the words on the page. Her eyebrows quirking, at the sound.   
“What are you doing?” Though she tried to school her voice and make it devoid of of emotions she did her face, some of her curiosity seeped through. In reply he threw his head round the corner of the door, he had removed his head piece and hood, and his ebony locks hung in a tangled splayed mess around his face, long bangs pushed to the side.   
“Drawing a bath, why? You where not intending to do the same where you? Because I found it first!” Of course he was, what did she think he was doing, running the water for the fun of it! She mentally scolded herself for the obviousness of the answer, but let none of it show on her face.   
“No, I will bathe when you are asleep, since I have nothing better to do.” Her words where laced with a subtle sarcasm that she had only started to appreciate since coming to associate with the prince of lies. And with that she lifted the book to her face and pretended once again to be reading its contents, satisfactorily ending the conversation. She never looked back up, but she could here the door close and lock, and the water stop running, and for some reason she could not make the markings on the page into legitimate words. She could not stop associating the sounds she heard from beyond that door with images in her head, and her stomach lurched and her skin burned red as her mind painted the picture as she hear the slosh of displaced water that insinuated his entry to the bath, naked.   
She through the book down on the table in frustration, she had no idea why she was thinking like this, it was silly. This was Loki, there was no need for such thoughts and definitely no need for such a reaction!

 

Loki seemed to enjoy soaking in the bath, if the length of time he took was anything to go by. And throughout that time leah found it easier to relax, devoid of his company, and her nerves settled to the steal they where usually made of. She busied herself by lighting a fire in the fireplace, and finally reading the book that was on the table.   
Her engrossment in the history of camelot was probably the reason she never heard the soft gurgle of draining water, or the metallic clack of the lock. In fact she had little knowledge that Loki had finished his bath untill his shadow crossed her page and she looked up in mild shock. He strode past her clad in no more than his leggings and his his black short sleeved undershirt. Hair wet slicked back from his face, and cloth clinging intrusively to his damp frame. He carried in his hand his circlet and tunic, and he strode towards the bed and tossed them upon the dresser at the side.   
He through himself unceremoniously upon the bed and sunk into its plush comfort. She marked her page before closing the book and sitting it at her side and eyeing him suspiciously. After a moment or two he sighed and pulled himself up to a sitting position, and looked across the amber lit room towards her. She arced and eyebrow.  
“Hmm, funny I’m sure you should have developed gills, the time you spent in there.” She leaned her elbow on the armrest and placed her chin upon it. But he made no reply, simply smiled at her, and her face twisted into what con only be described as something akin to a pout.   
“What is wrong, no comeback?” As if on cue, a yawn escaped from his mouth followed by a sigh, and leah could see the dark circles forming under his eyes. Well it was about time, she wondered how long he could keep up such enthusiasm, even for a godling.   
“No perhaps in the morrow I shall gift you with my banter but for now,” A second yawn interrupted his statement. “I think rest is in order.” He looked off to the side, and back at her, before letting his gaze fall to his hands, and slowly drawing up to meet her gaze once more.   
“Do you mind? Me going to sleep I mean? You wont be you know board or, or lonely” As soon as he said it his eyes fell to the floor once more. And leah was struck by the almost concern that the question held.   
“I manage any other night without you. Go ahead I shall finish my book and bathe.” she turned back to the book reaching forward to pluck it from the table, and opened it at her place. “I’ll be fine.” She payed him no further heed. As he flounced beneath the covers.  
“Fine, but remember if you want to recline, eh you know the rest.” And the room grew silent once more. She continued reading and before two long the room was filled with the gentile melodious muffled breaths of Loki’s slumber. 

The fire had burned out, what she could only assume was hours ago. Though she had lit a lamp to keep the room from darkness, the soft glowing embers provided little heat to the room. She was all but three or so chapters from the end of her book, and it was deep into the night. It seemed wasteful to light a fresh fire with dawn a few hours from the horizon. But the room had grown bitter cold, and it started to bite into her flesh and cling to her cloths. In Broxton, the night air never cooled to much, and one could justify a continues fire to provide light to the dark dank cave. Otherworld however, was bitter cold at night, and she could not justify lighting the fire. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms in a futile attempt to create warmth. She had been trying not to think about the cold for the past hour. Trying to keep her mind from the matter with her book, but it had become to hard, and in the back of her mind the invitation to share the bed looked more promising. She sighed, she had made such pomp out of not wanting to share, it would hurt her pride to eat her words, but the cold was becoming hard to ignore. She looked over at the bed, it was large, Loki and herself where only small, she could realistically, if she where quiet, share the bed without him even knowing and leave when dawn came.

 

This became, in her head the best and only plan. So she placed what was left of her book on the table and quietly strode towards the bed. The duvet was thick and heavy, filled with goose feathers, Loki slept peacefully on the far side all but obscured by the plush surrounding him. She slipped from her shoes and, lifting the covers, slid beneath them. She lay there uncomfortable and stiff for a few moments trying to fined the most comfortable way to lie, but it was no use her dress had tangled round her legs and the arms of her dress felt tight and restrictive. Sighing she removed herself from the bed and stood. Looking blankly at the vacant spot she she resigned herself and, after undoing the many fastenings, slid her dress off to the floor. She stood shivering in her white shorter underskirt and camisole. It would have to make do in place of a night dress as she retreated back to under the duvet. The sheets where cold, but she knew before long they would warm up. And as she wriggled to a comfortable position she let her mined go blank as she though of nothing in particular. Starring at the canopy of the bed she daydreamed, as close as she could come to sleep or dreams. 

She didn’t know how long she had been like that, cocooned in the warmth of the covers, starring into space, but the dawn was still a few hour off. Moaning broke her from her trance, panting rasping breaths and pained whimpers accompanied it. She had head this before, and she recognised it as Loki’s nightmares. She rolled on her side to face him, lifting the covers slightly to see his face. In the pale blue moonlight it was twisted in pain, and his jaw was clenched, as he whimpered. She debated waking him up, but that would have wasted her plan to be gone before he woke. However, with the noises and the look on his face, she felt a sharp stab of pity, she could not let him suffer needlessly. She shuffled across the bed closer to him, and reaching across stroked the sweaty tangled mess of his hair. Soothing and sshhing him. He stilled beneath her hand, as the groans and whimpers softened to sighs and muffled murmurs. She was closer to his side of the bed now and, and although he had quietened she let her hand upon him, gently stroking at his hair. She mused quietly that it was soft, a lot softer than she had imagined boys hair would feel, and his skin was cold to touch even under the heavy blankets. Moments passed and when he had quieted and his breathing evened she removed her hand. Though she did not pull back to her side, lest the nightmares return, instead she rolled onto her side, back facing him and tried to once again empty her mind of thought. She slipped easily back into her dream world. As she counted the bricks on the far wall.   
Some time passed and her new position on the bed had started to warm, when the mattress under them shifted as Loki tossed in his sleep. He rolled to his side towards Leah, and in one tossing flailing gesture threw his arm over her waist. Her gasp was audible, though not loud enough to wake him, and the melodic breaths told her he remained blissfully unaware of there rather awkward situation. Leah however, was painfully awake. And all too aware of the hand protectively slung over her waist, that slowly contracted pulling them closer together. Within moments they where flush against each other and Loki’s face was nuzzled in the hollow of her neck. Her stomach dropped and fluttered all at once, her skin heat up and her cheeks burned, and as he squeezed tighter he sighed into her neck. To her own shock, and almost fatal embarrassment, a soft moan of contentment passed her lips. She clasped one hand over her mouth, she had to find a way to escape his grasp, but she had to ensure he remained asleep. If he where to wake now, she didn’t think she could take the embarrassment. 

Carefully she lifted the dead weight of his hand and tried to wriggle free to the safety of her far side of the bed. Slowly shifting and inching, desperate to escape but more so that he remain asleep.   
She had all but reached the safety and warmth of her side of the bed, when the soft stirring and hitching of breach caught her dead in her tracks. Frozen she desperately willed her heart to slow and her head to turn and look at him. His eye lids lifted, heavy and slowly as sleep still clung to his features. He lifted his head as slowly, as if it weighed as much as the mighty Mjolnir, so much so he barely lifted it two inches from the pillows. His voice was thick, and cracked, as it made its way from his sleep dried throat.  
“Leah?” He peered into the darkness, squinting as his vivid green eyes adjusted to the lacking light.  
“What are you doing?” He looked from where he could only see the vague outline of her face, to where her hand held his in the most delicate of grasps. He however, made no attempt to remove his hand from her grasp.  
“I…a, ahh.” She willed herself to talk, willed herself to let go of his hand, but she couldn’t do both. The gentile grasp loosened, and his arm fell to the plush contours of the mattress, as she struggled to find an explanation.   
He pulled his now free hand from where it lay, close to his chest as what strength he had holding his head failed and it flopped down to the pillow once more. Eye lids falling heavy, leaving the crescents of black lashes to rest on his cheeks. His voice was mumbled by sleep, and muffled by the pillow, and through it all she could only make out a faint grumbling of it being the middle of the night.

She had stayed stock still in her position, throughout what was left of the night. The cold and the embarrassment leaving her immobile on the spot. The dawn had come and the rose hue of the sky had settled to the bright yellow of early morning, and as the sun rose higher and her bright rays climbed through the window Loki started to stir. Though thinking to have already been found out she made no attempt to execute her plan and leave before he woke.  
She had obsessed all night over what she would say, what comment she would make, what excuse could possibly excuse her from the situation. But as he woke and stretched shaking the stiff from his bones and rubbing the sleep from his eyes her throat went tight, and that feelings that was becoming all to familiar of butterflies in her stomach silenced her tongue. So she sat quiet in the morning glow. Loki was the first to speak, though he made no hint of the incident in the night, and no remark as to finding her huddled beneath the covers as he rose.  
“I wonder why they gave us a double bed in the first place.” He mumbled into the pillow, as he tried to shake away the remnants of sleep that still clung to him. She looked round at him, a quizzical expression marred her face.  
“What do you mean?” Intonation rising at the end, as she battled to keep her tone steady.  
“Well Leah I was wondering why they gave us one bed instead of two, you seemed to grasp this concept rather shrilly last night.” He burrowed his head further into the pillow, tussled mess of black hair cascading over in all directions.  
“What, I assume it is due to the fact that I do not sleep.” Her tone was nonchalant as she tossed her head back on the pillow duvet still pulled high, it was to cold to get out from under the cover just yet.  
“Yea, I suppose you are right,” He yawned, words still muffled by the pillow, then he rolled his head to the side green eyes bright as emeralds behind his black bangs. “Hmm, I wonder how they knew that though.” He made a shrugging gesture and let his eyes slide closed agin in the hue of the early morning dawn. Of this she was glad, as the heat rose up her neck and flushed across her cheeks. If they did not know that she did not sleep, then there was only one reason for giving them a double bed. And right now, with the gentle tones of sunlight bathing him, hair raven black, skin milky white and held in the almost angelic guise of sleep, and so close she could reach out and touch him, well she did not want to think of that.   
She would later question weather or not he had been sleeping, never really fully awake or aware of what had happened. But never care to mention it.  
He would wonder if she thought him asleep, in fact he would wonder himself if he had dreamt the whole thing. But her gentile touch on his hair and the softness of her form beneath his grasp, dream or not those sensations would haunt his desires for years to come.


End file.
